South Africa vs Australia: Careless dismissals on day three
During the third Test in Cape Town, South Africa closed day three at 140-4, leading Australia by just 40 runs after losing key wickets.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- South Africa finished day three at 140-4, holding a 40-run lead in Cape Town.
- Aiden Markram and David Bedingham fell to poor shot selections.
- Captain Temba Bavuma was lured into a costly mistake late in the day.
- Australia maintains the upper hand in the decisive series finale.
The third Test match in Cape Town reached its crucial third day out of five, with South Africa facing mounting pressure as their batters carelessly gifted wickets to Australia. The struggles began after the Proteas successfully claimed the final six Australian wickets for 99 runs during the morning session, despite Josh Inglis scoring his second Test century. This left South Africa to begin their second innings facing a deficit of exactly 100 runs, requiring solid performances from their experienced opener Aiden Markram and number three David Bedingham, neither of whom could deliver when it mattered most.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
The collapse became glaringly obvious when Aiden Markram attempted a drive off Mitchell Starc from the fullest delivery he faced, sending the ball straight into the hands of Travis Head at mid-off without the fielder needing to move. Even worse was the dismissal of David Bedingham, who failed to learn from his mistakes in the first innings. Having previously top-edged a pull shot off Starc to Josh Hazlewood, Bedingham repeated the exact same stroke against the same bowler, handing Australia another crucial breakthrough.
In elite Test cricket, disciplined shot selection against short-pitched bowling and swinging deliveries often separates great players from the rest. Repeating identical errors across consecutive innings highlights the intense psychological pressure of a series-deciding match where opposing bowling attacks relentlessly exploit known vulnerabilities.
"That is just absolutely soft from David Bedingham. He knew they were going to target him in that zone. For the second time in the Test, he has fallen to the same ploy."
Vernon Philander
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Bedingham's dismissal arrived shortly after being struck in the chest by a Starc bouncer. When Hazlewood switched back to a short length, Bedingham took the bait, marking the fifth time he has been dismissed playing a pull shot across his 18 Test appearances, averaging a wicket loss to that specific stroke once every 13 deliveries. Former South Africa bowler Vernon Philander criticized the dismissal as exceptionally soft, noting that Bedingham needed to adapt his approach similarly to how South African great Hashim Amla once temporarily shelved his pull shot when targeted by opponents.
Meanwhile, captain Temba Bavuma dug in defensively for 115 balls before falling late in the day. With just four minutes remaining, Australia captain Pat Cummins adjusted his field for spinner Nathan Lyon, successfully enticing Bavuma out of his crease to force a shot through mid-wicket. This late breakthrough left South Africa at 140-4 at stumps, holding a precarious 40-run lead with Matthew Breetzke and Ryan Rickelton at the crease, and triple-centurion Wiaan Mulder still waiting in the pavilion ahead of a daunting final two days.
Source: BBC Sport
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